Inkstand.



F. M. ASHLEY.

INKSTAND.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 3. I913.

mnww, Patented Oct. 24,1916.

2 SHEETS SHEET l.

F. M. ASHLEY.

INKSTAND.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 3. 1913.

1 2% M9. Patented Oct; 24,1916.

9 I) 2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

a w 5v Zfi vamw fl 7 FRANK M. ASHLEY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

INKSTAND.

Milli-1m Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 3, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK M. ASHLEY, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of New York city, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kingsand State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin lnkstands, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to inkstands, particularly to the low type ofinkstand having a restricted opening forming a dip chamber.

It is found in inkstands of this character that the ink often gets lowin the reservoir and although there may still be a considerable quantityof ink therein, the level of the ink in the dip opening is too low toproperly ink the pen. Moreover, very often it is desirable to change thelevel of the ink in the dip opening in order to accommodate pen pointsof different lengths.

The principal object of this invention is to provide simple andinexpensive means whereby the level of the ink in the dip opening may bevaried at will.

A further object is to provide in a low type of stand in which thereservoir is located entirely in the base, simple means directly engagedby the cover whereby the ink is maintained. at the desired level in thedip opening.

A still further object is to so dispose the adjusting means within thereservoir as to preclude the possibility of the accidental overflow ofthe ink through the dip opening.

in the drawing illustrating the preferred embodiments of this invention,Figure 1 is a sectional elevation and Fig. 2 is a plan of an inkstandembodying my invention. Fig. 3 is a detail of the plunger. Fig. 4: is asectional ele ation and Fig. dis a plan view of a modified form.

Referring to the embodiment of the invention as illustrated in Figs. 1,2 and 3, the base 1 of the stand is of low, broad construction and hasthe reservoir 2 formed therein. A dip opening 8 extends to one side ofthe reservoir preferably at an angle thereto, so as to facilitatethe-insertion of the pen. The ed of the base adjacent to the dip openingis beveled off to form an inclined face 4, to further facilitate theinsertion of the pen at an angle, so that the stand may be inserted in apigeon hole or rack upon a desk and still be readily accessible.

I will now describe the means whereby the level of the ink in the dipopening 3 is adjusted to the desired height to suit the con- Patented(lot. 2 1%, 1911.6. Serial No. 739,946.

venience of the person using the stand. The cover 5, which is preferablycircular in form, has extending into the reservoir a central,cylindrical projection 6 which is preferably threaded to engage aninteriorly threaded thimble 7 attached to a plunger 8 which fits theinterior of the vertical wall of the reservoir. A. guiding lug 9preferably extends outward from the periphery of the plunger into thevertical passage 10 formed between the dip opening 3 and the reservoir.This lug guides the plunger in its vertical movement and prevents rotarymovement thereof. lVhen it is desired to raise the level of the ink inthe dip opening, the cover 5 is rotated so as to depress the plunger 8and displace a portion of the liquid and thus raisethe same in said dipopening. A channel 11 is preferably formed at the top of the plunger, soas to reduce the peripheral diameter thereof at that point and preventthe capillary action between the periphery of the plunger and theinterior of the reservoir from raising the ink to the top of the base.The plunger may, if desired, be cut away adjacent to the dip opening 3,so as to form an incline 12 which permits the pen to be inserted at agreater angle if it is found necessary to do so. A pen rack 13 may ifdesired be formed on the top of the base at each end thereof.

In the modified construction illustrated in Figs. 45 and 5, the base 20has the reservoir 21 formed therein and the cover 22 has a central dipopening 23 provided with a downwardly projecting cylindrical portion 24.The latter is exteriorly threaded to engage a threaded bushing 25attached in the interior of the bore formed in the plunger 26. Thelatter loosely fits within the reservoir and has a flattened portion 27at one side thereof to engage a similarly flattened portion 28 formed onthe interior of the upstanding wall of the reservoir. These flattenedportions prevent the plunger from rotating while permitting the same tomove vertically within the reservoir. When the cover 22 is rotated inthe proper direction, the plunger 26 is lowered and the ink thusdisplaced rises in the interior of the dip opening 23 to the properdesired level. In this construction, the plunger may be lowered clear tothe bottom irrespective of the quantity of the ink in the reservoirwithout causing the ink to overflow through the dip opening, for thereason that on account of the loose fit of the plunger 1n the lnteriorof the reservoir the ink can flow upward over the plunger and whenthelatter is completely depressed, the ink may be entirely displaced tofill the space above the plunger, As in the preferred construction, theplunger may be provided with the channel 29 formed peripherally thereinadj acent to the top of the same and the materials for the various partsmay also correspond. The upper'face of the plunger is preferably beveledoff to form a central conical depression 30 to correspond with the outercontour of the dip opening of the cover. The conical portion 31 of thedip opening preferably terminates slightly below the top of thereservoir, so that when the ink is raised to the top of this conicalportion, it will still be at .a safe level and will not overflow. Inpractice, the ink should preferably not be raised beyond this conicalportion.

In both of the forms above described, the base is formed preferably ofglass while the cover may be of hard rubber or similar molded substance.The plunger is preferably formed of some non absorbent substance asearthen ware, hard rubber, light non-corrosive metal or the like,whereas the thimble or bushing is preferably formed of noncorrosivemetal and may be cemented in any suitable way within a central bore inthe plunger.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a simple and inexpensive meanswhereby the level of the ink can be maintained at any desired height inthe dip opening of a low type of stand having a comparatively shallowreservoir. Vith the use of the'means herein described, the level of theink can be maintained at the proper height in the dip opening althoughit has fallen in the reservoir to a level at which a pen cannot beproperly inked. The parts are simple, inexpensive and easy tomanufacture.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new:

1. An inkstand comprising a base having a reservoir therein and a dipopening extending therefrom, a cover for the reservoir having a threadedcentral projection extending into the reservoir, a plunger having athreaded bore engaging said projection, and a peripheral projectionengaging the wall of the dip opening to prevent rotative movement of theplunger, the latter being raised and lowered by the rotary movement ofthe cover to adjust the level of the ink within the dip opening.

2. An inkstand comprising a base having a reservoir therein, a cover forthe base having a central threaded projection extending within thereservoir, a plunger having a central'bore engaging said projection anda peripheral channel adjacent to the top thereof,

to prevent the overflow of the ink due to capillary attraction, meansfor preventing the rotative movement-of the plunger, there being a dipopening communicating with the reservoir in which opening the level ofthe ink is adjusted by the movement of the plunger.

3. An inkstand comprising a base having a reservoir therein, a cover forthe base having a central threaded projection extending within thereservoir, a plunger having a centralbore engaging said projection,means for preventing the rotative movement of the plunger, there being adip opening communicating with the reservoir in which opening the levelof the ink is adjusted by the movement of the plunger, said plungerbeing angularly cut away adjacent to the dip opening to permit of theinsertion of a pen to the bottom of the dip.

4. An inkstand comprising a base having a reservoir therein and a dipopening extending therefrom, a cover for the reservoir having a threadedcentral projection extending into the reservoir, a piunger having athreaded bore engaging said projection, and a peripheral projectionengaging the wall of the dip opening to prevent rotative movement of theplunger, the latter being raised and lowered by the rotary movement ofthe cover to adjust the level of the ink within the dip opening, saidplunger being angularly cut away under the guiding projection to permitof the insertion of a pen to the bottom of the dip.

5. An inkstand comprising a low base hav ing a wide bevel across oneupper edge, a reservoir formed in said base offset from said bevel, anink dip, the opening of which is included in the beveled portion so asto allow the insertion of a pen at an angle, said dip extending to thelevel of the bottom of the reservoir, there being open communicationbetween the dip and the reservoir for the entire height of said dip, acover for the reservoir having a threaded projection depending into saidreservoir, a plunger loosely fitting within the reservoir, said plungerhaving a. central threaded opening rotatably engaging said projection,said plunger being raised and lowered by the rotary movement of thecover to adjust the level of the ink within the dip, there being meansfor preventing rotary movement of the plunger.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of NewYork, this 27th day of December, A. D. 1912.

FRANK M. ASHLEY.

Witnesses Gnonen Lnwrs TURNER, MINNIE S. MILLER.

Copies otthis patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0.

